Of Loss and Strength
by BK Love-ah
Summary: Lacey's sixth year. Despite Voldemort's spreading terrors, Lacey focuses more on her newfound feelings for Neville. Will she find a way? Sixth story of 7, telling of Lacey's magical journey. I DO NOT OWN HP, only Lacey and her family. R&R!
1. Healing

_**Well, here we are again! I'm SO SORRY this took me so long, but school has been weighing me down lately. I hope you all enjoy the first chapter!**_

**0ooooooooooooooooooooo0**

"D'you need help?"

"No, dear," Mum said to me, chuckling lightly. She gripped the railing and continued up the stairs. I looked at her and smiled. _Oh, Mum. You're so strong._

Luckily, the doctor was right. About two weeks after she came home, she was able to walk again. Dad and I devoted the entire summer to taking care of her and nursing her back to health. I didn't mind it in the least bit, nor did I mind that both my parents had grounded me for the summer for going to the Ministry. I didn't really want to go anywhere. However, when my O.W.L. results came in, they were exceptionally pleased.

**Ordinary Wizarding Level Results**

_**Lacey Anne Ravensdale has achieved:**_

Astronomy- A

Care of Magical Creatures- A

Charms- O

Defense Against the Dark Arts- O

Divination- P

Herbology- A

History of Magic- P

Potions- E

Transfiguration- E

Mum was getting used to living everyday life with just one functioning arm. It was actually fairly easy. Sure, we had to tie her shoes for her and help her dress, but she could still move around normally. However, at the end of each day, she was always very tired and had to go to bed early. It certainly improved all of our sleep schedules.

I sat in bed one night, rubbing Belle behind her ears like she loved. The _Daily Prophet_ had been talking nonstop about what happened at the Department of Mysteries. I was definitely happy that it had stopped badmouthing Harry. It also seemed to have come to its senses about Sirius Black's innocence. _A little late, though,_ I thought to myself.

Then, a chill ran down my spine. Voldemort was loose once again, already launching chaos in the Muggle world, probably planning even more unimaginable horrors. _But we'll come through. It'll be alright. It has to be!_

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

The time had come at last. I was going around my room, gathering my things to take with me to Hogwarts for my sixth year.

"You're growing up so fast," Dad said earlier, shaking his head in amazement. I smiled at the thought. Time certainly had gone by quickly. As I folded my school robes, there was a knock at my door.

"Can I come in, sweetheart?"

"Sure, Mum." She opened the door and sat on my bed.

"Excited?" I shrugged.

"I dunno, it's...it's not like it was before." She nodded.

"I know. But you can't let it bring you down. Try to focus on other things that'll make you happy, like..."

As she said this, I came across the dolphin necklace Neville had given me in our third year. It jumped around and squeaked happily, and I smiled. Turning to Mum, I saw that she was grinning in a mischievous way.

"What?" She shrugged innocently.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that I couldn't help but noticed how much you've been talking about Neville lately." My first impulse was to deny it, but I'd never been able to lie to either one of my parents. Mum could always read me like a book.

"Oh."

"Lacey, he's a wonderful boy. I think it's great that you have feelings for him!" I looked at her and walked over to sit next to her.

"Really?"

"Of course," she said. "So, how'd he react when you told him?" I was confused at this.

"I...didn't tell him."

"When are you going to?"

"I don't intend to, Mum." It was her turn to look puzzled.

"Why not?"

"Well, what if he doesn't feel the same way back? Things will get all weird, and he'll probably never speak to me again."

"Oh, I don't know about that. He'd be crazy not to like you." I rolled my eyes. "I'm serious. You're a very beautiful young woman, Lacey." At this, I blushed.

"No."

"Of course you are." She lovingly reached out to stroke my cheek. "But I understand if you want to keep those feelings to yourself." I nodded. _It's better that way. I don't want to screw anything up with him. He's the best friend I've ever had._

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

During the drive to King's Cross Station, I stared out the window and looked at the clouds. I could make out the dark gray edges of each massive shape, and it made me shiver. _It's as if Voldemort's hiding up there, waiting to pounce._ But just as I thought that, the sun managed to peek out from behind one of the larger clouds.

I blinked and looked away momentarily before turning back. As I glanced as much as I could towards the light without getting blinded, a smile formed on my face. I remembered something Harry had said to us at the end of fifth year.

_We've got something worth fighting for._

"Here we are, Lacey." The car stopped as we arrived at the station. With Belle in one arm and my trunk handle in my free hand, I walked inside with my parents.

It was busy as usual. Countless people ran past us, trying to reach their respective trains on time. Finally, after what seemed like forever, we found the entrance and went through. At almost the instant I handed in my luggage...

"Hey, Lacey!"

I smiled and ran forward. Surprisingly, Neville didn't look all that different. What really surprised me was when he put his arms around my waist, lifted me up, and twirled in a circle before putting my back down. Stepping back, I chuckled.

"Have you been working out, Neville?" He laughed and shook his head.

"Nah, not really." I felt Mum and Dad approach us, and Neville immediately turned to Mum. "Mrs. Ravensdale, how're you feeling?" Mum smiled.

"Better," she said. "Thanks, dear." Just then, the train blew its final whistle. I instantly ran to my parents and embraced them.

"I'll miss you two." I felt Dad's arm wrap tenderly around my shoulder, and Mum kissed the top of my head.

"Be careful, sweetheart," she said to me. I nodded, and after blowing them both one more kiss, I climbed aboard with my friend, once more watching as my parents disappeared into the distance.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Neville and I spent most of the train ride talking about our O.W.L. results.

"Wow, I wish I got as many as you did, Lacey." I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"Neville, you did wonderfully! Why d'you keep putting yourself down?" He shrugged.

"Dunno. I guess...I'm still not quite living up to my dad's potential. According to Gran, at least."

"She seems like a very stubborn woman. Maybe she just doesn't want to admit that she's proud of you." He was silent. "Well, she should be proud of you, after what you did." After a few seconds, he smiled.

"What a crazy thing that was." I nodded.

"Indeed." I turned to look out the window after I felt my cheeks get warm. _Neville, if only you really knew how dear you are. Don't doubt yourself; you'll do something extraordinary someday. I just know it._ I smiled to myself. _Then again, you already have._

**0oooooooooooooooo0**

_**I know it's short, but I wanted to get this up. **_

_**Just so you know, I will soon be starting a Lord of the Rings fanfic! I won't give that more attention than this story, but it may cause less frequency in my updates. **_

_**Thanks for sticking with me. Hidey-ho!**_


	2. To Tell or Not To Tell

_**Ay-ay-ay...I'm so sorry for taking so long! Please forgive me! I've been suffering a lot of HP writers block, but my muse is starting to come back. Also, there's another issue. **_

_**For some incredibly odd reason, Fanfiction is being super annoying and has not been letting me onto my account while I'm on my PC computer (at least not until I've been trying for more than 15 minutes and have hit the Refresh button and deleted the browsing history a THOUSAND times). It literally took me an hour to upload and publish the first chapter to this story!**_

_**So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to attach the new chapters to an email and send them to myself. Then, I will log onto my email from my sister's old laptop (which DOES let me onto my fanfic account), download the new chapters onto that computer, and upload them from there (I've been doing that with my LOTR story, and it's been working fine). **_

_**Now, because of these unfortunate circumstances, this will probably make my updates a bit slower than usual. But until I get my own laptop (which I'm hoping to do ASAP), I really don't have any other choice.**_

_**With that said, I hope you like this chapter!**_

**swimmergirl101- Haha, sorry! I'd have been quicker, but the blame rests on the shoulders of the vortex of chaos that is senior year...and my stupid PC, as you probably saw above. But thanks for your review! =D**

**SpiritGuardian96- Thanks so much! =)**

**Doncamatic- Aww, that's sweet! Thanks a ton!**

**Miss Cheshire Smile- Gaaaaah! I'm sorry I took so long! I'm glad you like my stories, though =)**

**0ooooooooooooooooooo0**

Dinner that night definitely wasn't very cheerful. Barely anyone said a word, with the exception of Professor Dumbledore and, surprisingly, the Sorting Hat. They both spoke to us and urged us to remain strong, and to not give ourselves over to fear. But at that point, it was hard not to.

The headmaster also introduced a strange-looking man named Professor Slughorn, who was to be the new Potions Master; apparently, he had been a teacher in the field before. However, all the Gryffindors had to stifle moans of disappointment when Snape was appointed the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. _It's an improvement over last year, though, _I thought to myself. _He might actually __**teach**__ us something._

With all that was happening, we really needed all the help we could get.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A bunch of thoughts went through my mind as we got our new schedules. Of course, I was still worried about the classes getting more difficult in sixth year. Now that we were older, we'd be dealing with spells and curses much harder to master.

I glanced down a bit more, and smiled when I saw my advanced Charms class. _Oh, I'd almost completely forgotten about that!_ There were no words to describe how much I was looking forward to it.

I eventually found myself thinking about the new Potions professor. _He seems nice enough. With any luck, he'll be a bit friendlier than Snape._

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

My prayers were answered.

On the first day of classes, I found myself actually enjoying that class for the very first time. Professor Slughorn wasn't overly friendly to the point of being annoying, but he wasn't anything like his predecessor. He seemed very interested in his teachings, and in many of us. Particularly Harry.

Speaking of which, he was uncharacteristically exceptional in class that day. He made his potion perfectly, and won a bottle of Felix Felicis, also called "liquid luck." I couldn't help but feel a little jealous, but perhaps we all did. Then again, we all received a common prize: a very shabby hair day.

Finally, the time for Charms arrived. While the rest of the sixth-years took the class at the regular time, I had a free period to spend in the Great Hall. Then, immediately afterwards, I was to report to the classroom.

"Ah, there you are, Miss Ravensdale!" I smiled.

"Hello, Professor Flitwick."

"Did you have a nice summer, dear?"

"Yes," I said. "Very well." His expression turned a bit more serious as he hopped down from his chair.

"I was terribly sorry to hear about your mother. How is she?"

"She doesn't feel any more pain from her injuries," I answered. "It's difficult for her, but she's managing." He nodded.

"I'm very glad to hear that." I smiled slightly as he cleared his throat. "Well then, shall we get started?" I nodded.

"Alright."

"Good. Take out your wand, please." I did so. "Now, the first spell I want you to try is a wee bit tricky, but I think you'll be able to handle it. It's a type of freezing charm that can create ice blocks if there's water nearby. And if you had to put out a fire, the air generated from the wand would be cold enough to put it out." I nodded, interested.

"I see."

"The incantation for this charm is _Glacius._ Hold your wand straight out." I nodded and obliged.

"Like this?"

"Exactly like that. Give it a go."

I took a small breath and spoke.

"_Glacius!_"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Really?" Neville asked. "It went that well?"

"Yeah," I said, a smile stretched across my face. "I got it on my fourth try! The professor said that most people who use that spell for the first time have to try at least thirty times before they get it."

"Lacey, that's incredible," said Neville, shifting his position on the sofa. "I'm really happy for you." I smiled.

"Thanks. How were the rest of your classes?" He shrugged.

"Oh, same old. What'd you think of Defense Against the Dark Arts?" I rolled my eyes.

"Do you really have to ask?" We both laughed. "They should create a class called Defense Against the Dark Snape." At this, Neville nearly fell off the couch. I had to grab his arm to steady him.

"Lacey, have I ever told you how funny you are?" I smiled.

"Sort of."

"Well, you are. That's one of the things I love about you."

My heart nearly stopped at Neville's mention of the word. Slowly looking towards the fireplace, my brain started racing.

_One of the things he loves about me? Not likes, but __**loves?**__ What the bloody hell does he mean by-?_

"Lacey?"

I looked back at Neville. He was looking at me with concern.

"Hmm?"

"Everything alright? You seem troubled."

Looking into his eyes, I debated with myself. A part of me wanted to confess how I felt, but the stronger, scared part of me convinced me otherwise. I took a breath and shook my head.

"Nah, I'm fine."

He looked as if he didn't buy it, but smiled.

"Okay. Just remember what I said before. You can always talk to me about anything." I smiled at him warmly.

"Thanks."

**0oooooooooooooooooooooooo0**

_**Again, I'm SO SORRY this took so long, but I'm getting back into the swing of things! =D**_


	3. Thank You

_**Hello again! I hope you all like this chapter =D**_

**MoonyLikesChocolate (AKA swimmergirl101)- YEESH! I'm sorry you've been having a rough week! D= But I'm so glad that the update made you feel better.**

**I was confused by the Mary-Sue reviewer as well (and also a bit hurt; it actually made me cry a little!), but it's good to know that not everyone has that opinion. **

**And I can't tell you how much your kind comments mean to me. Seriously, I appreciate it a lot. And hey, no hurries with your reviews; believe me, I know that people have a lot of stuff on their shoulders (like this chick!). Anyways, thanks again, and I will try to update quicker! =D **

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"Miss Ravensdale, would you stay a moment?"

I turned and looked at Professor Slughorn.

"Sure, Professor." I walked back over to my seat as he stopped beside the work table.

"I must say, I'm very impressed with your work this year. You've shown exceptional skill, compared to how you've done in...past years." He seemed a bit awkward, but I smiled to ease the tension.

"Thank you, sir."

"Several of the other professors have spoken very highly of you. I understand you were chosen for the advanced sixth-year Charms classes?" I nodded.

"Yes. Professor Flitwick saw that I take after my father in that area." The professor chuckled softly.

"Ah, yes. Bernie was one of my finest."

"You knew my father?"

"Indeed, my dear girl. Oh, that brings me to my point!" He reached into his robes and pulled out a piece of parchment. It looked like some kind of list. "I was wondering if you'd like to join a little club of mine."

"What kind of club?"

"I call it the Slug Club. Only the brightest and most talented students are accepted." I was a bit speechless, and very flattered.

"I'd love to, sir."

"Splendid!" He wrote something on his parchment before looking back at me again. "I will be hosting a dinner for the eligible students next Sunday evening, on November second. It will be at six o'clock in the evening." I nodded and smiled.

"I'll be there."

"Wonderful. Well, I'll not keep you another minute. You may go now."

"Alright. Thank you, professor."

I left the room and ran to my next class.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Once back in the common room that night, the first person I told was Neville.

"Lacey, that's so great! Actually, you know something else?"

"What?"

"When I left Potions this morning, he asked me to attend the dinner as well!"

"That's awesome, Neville!" We stopped and smiled at each other for a few moments. "We both must be pretty talented." He nodded, but he seemed a bit hesitant. "What?"

"Well," he said, shifting his position on the couch, "it's just that before he asked me to go to the dinner, he didn't really talk about anything that I'd done. He mainly talked about my parents, and how great they were. Nothing about me."

"Neville," I said soothingly as I reached out to take his hand. "He just doesn't see you yet." He looked down and smiled, squeezing my hand.

"Yeah. Not a lot of people do, it seems. Except for you." He grasped my hand once more before standing up and smiling down at me. "Good night, Lacey." And with that, he went upstairs.

_Not a lot of people do..._His words kept ringing in my mind.

"That's not true," I whispered to myself, though there was nobody around to hear me.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Such poor concentration, Miss Ravensdale."

I felt my face become red as the people on the Slytherin side of the room snickered. Professor Snape had made me go to the front of the classroom and attempt to perform the Shield Charm nonverbally; needless to say, as it is in all of his classes, it didn't go too well. I took a deep breath before addressing Snape.

"Professor, I assure you, I am trying as hard as I can," I said quietly.

"I find that hard to believe," he replied, making no attempt to hush himself. "Return to your seat." I went back to my desk as quickly as I could and sat down. But Snape wasn't quite done tormenting me. "Miss Ravensdale, your lack of substantial effort does not surprise me at all."

My anger was rising more and more with every passing second. _Remember what Remus said, remember what Remus said..._ The professor turned to his desk, but continued talking.

"You're not even bothering to disguise how incapable of concentration you are, along with plenty of other lazy people in this class." At this point, I snapped. In my anger, I whispered under my breath for Snape to do to himself the thing that people do to make babies.

The moment I did so, my eyes went wide. I silently prayed that nobody had heard me, but the sudden silence in the room and the sight of the professor slowly turning to face me proved how horribly wrong I was.

"You've earned yourself a week's detention for that comment, Miss Ravensdale." To be completely honest, I didn't feel that surprised or upset. Snape turned back to his desk and picked up the textbook. "Speaking of lazy people...Longbottom, stand up."

I turned around as my friend stood, the blood rushing to his cheeks. He tried to ignore the laughs of the Slytherins, but I could tell it was hard for him.

"Perhaps, by some miracle, you can answer this question. What is the proper nonverbal incantation and wand movement involved in the Shield Charm?" Neville shifted nervously. Suddenly, it looked as if a light bulb had gone off inside of his head. He straightened up and answered the professor.

"About the wand movement, I have no idea." Snape glanced aside in an "of-course" gesture. But Neville wasn't quite finished. "But if I remember correctly, the incantation is _Kiss My Big Fat Arse_."

I gasped, as did the rest of the Gryffindors. He then looked at me and flashed me a small smile. I couldn't help but return it. Snape was furious.

"You'll join Miss Ravensdale in detention, Longbottom. Sit down." Neville obeyed.

I could not believe that Neville did that. However, it made me feel a bit better to know that I wouldn't have to face Snape alone.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sure enough, he had us clean all of the windows and floors without magic. By the time we returned to the common room, it was nearly midnight and Neville and I were both covered in grime and dust.

"That was fun," Neville said, and I smiled. "Well, good night." He started walking towards the staircase.

"Neville?" He paused and looked at me. "Why did you say that in class today?" After staring at me for a few moments, Neville spoke.

"You didn't really think I'd let you go to detention all by yourself, did you?" I smiled at him.

"Thank you." He returned the smile and gazed at me kindly.

"Good night." As soon as he was gone, I threw myself into the big easy chair by the fire. I stared up at the ceiling, not caring what I was looking at.

_It's really nice being in love._

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_**I hope you all liked this one. Please review!**_


	4. Beautiful

_**Hello, hello, hello! I've returned!**_

**MoonyLikesChocolate- Why, thank you! I do try to keep it as close to the original story as possible. And your reviews are indeed GREATLY appreciated! ;D**

_**Enjoy!**_

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The dinner was a bit more eventful than I expected, perhaps too much. Despite the fact that people were dressed up, Marcus Belby managed to forget his manners enough to wolf down all of the desserts before our eyes. That might have been the most revolting thing I'd ever seen.

Ginny also seemed a bit upset. She arrived kind of late, and looked like she had been crying. I wasn't sure why, though. But I did notice that Harry kept staring at her.

A lot of people from each of the houses were at the table. The ones from Slytherin looked a bit grim. Not that it really surprised me, of course... I was glad to be seated with the rest of the Gryffindors, and next to Neville.

He seemed a bit upset when it was almost time to go, as the professor had barely spoken to him. Slughorn had talked to Hermione quite a bit, and to Harry. He also talked to me about my parents and my sister. But not to Neville.

When it was finally time to leave, we all filed out of the room and went back to our respective dormitories...with the exception of Harry, who stayed behind. Everyone else went upstairs, but Neville flopped onto the couch. Not hesitating, I sat down with him.

"I'm not going to get in," he said simply. I looked at him and spoke gently.

"Don't say that."

"No, it's okay. I don't need to be in the Slug Club, anyway. I've got better things to do." I didn't say anything for a moment.

"Perhaps it's just not for you."

"Maybe," he said, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "Or perhaps I just don't meet the standards of greatness." With that, he got up and went up to his room. I stayed on the couch and closed my eyes.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A week later, I got a card saying that I had been accepted into the club, and was invited to attend a Christmas party before going home for break. Just as Neville said, he didn't get one.

"It's really no big deal," he said, a bit more upbeat than he was the other night. "After I finished Potions yesterday, Slughorn came to me and said that I could help out at the party." I smiled.

"Well, that's wonderful! How will you be helping?" He looked at me mischievously.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." I rolled my eyes.

_Boys._

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Two weeks before the party, I was sitting in the Great Hall during my free period. While I was working on my Charms homework, I heard a screech from above me. I looked up just in time to see a large box coming right at me. Reaching up, I caught it.

"Thanks," I said sarcastically to the owl as it flew away. Looking down at the package, I saw that it was from my parents. I smiled and ripped it open.

After I tore away all of the coloured tissue paper, I found myself looking at the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. It was light lavender in colour, and a purple rose was pinned to the waistline. There was a wide strap that went around the neck to hold the dress up.

"Lacey!" Parvati exclaimed next to me once she'd caught sight of the dress. "That's beautiful!" I smiled.

"Thank you," I said shyly. She grinned widely at me.

"So, who're you going to ask?" That confused me.

"What do you mean?"

"Hermione said that Slughorn gives permission for the members to take dates to the party." My heart skipped a beat as I put the dress back in the box, gathered it into my arms, and stood up.

"Well, I'm...not sure...really, but...bye," I stammered as I walked out of the hall. However, I hadn't gotten very far before I heard someone run up behind me. I turned to see Parvati again.

"Why don't you ask Neville?" she whispered. My eyes went wide as I put a hand up to silence her.

"Bloody hell, would you keep your voice down! Someone might hear!"

"Sorry," she said in a normal voice. "But seriously, you should!" I shook my head.

"No, I couldn't...wait. How'd you even know about that?"

"Come on, Lace," she said with a wide grin. "You've been ogling at him for more than a year." I rolled my eyes at this.

"I don't know about ogling, but...wait, you don't think he's noticed, have you?" She shook her head.

"Nah. He's oblivious." I was secretly relieved.

"All right. But listen, please don't say anything to him."

"Don't worry," she said honestly. "You secret is safe with me. But are you sure you don't want to ask him?" I thought long and hard about this before nodding.

"Yeah."

_Not yet..._

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Hey, Lacey!"

"Neville, you just got the same letter as me again, didn't you?" He smiled as we sat down next to each other on the couch.

"I might've. Does yours say that your parents have important plans for break and that you should spend the vacation at my house?"

"I didn't even know about any plans they had," I told him with a smile. "But yep, that's what it says." He mirrored my smile.

"It's what mine says, as well."

"Cool!" I suddenly became hesitant. "Unless...Neville, are you sure it's alright with you? I don't want to impose on you or anything..."

"No, it'll be fun!" he said. "I imposed on you and your parents, after all." I rolled my eyes.

"Well...yeah, I guess you did." He looked at me, feigning heartbreak. "Oh, I'm kidding." His smile returned instantly.

"I know," he said with a chuckle. "But, yeah. This'll be exciting."

_It certainly will be,_ I thought.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The night of the party finally arrived. I felt painfully shy putting on my gown, but after a lot of persuasion from Parvati, I was able to enter the room.

Everyone there was dressed up as well. The room was a bit dark, but it was nicely decorated. Professor Slughorn looked pretty happy to see everybody there, although I was not exceptionally happy to see that Snape was in attendance.

But my dread at that discovery went away when I heard a voice behind me.

"Lacey?"

I turned to see Neville. I would have laughed had I been a few years younger, but he actually looked handsome in his white sailor-like buttoned coat, complete with white gloves. He was also holding a tray of drinks.

"Neville! Wow, don't you look dashing." He rolled his eyes.

"Oh, God. I know, it's ridiculous."

"No, seriously. It makes you look so...grown up."

"Really?"

"Yes." He smiled at me.

"Thanks, Lacey. And you look beautiful."

My heart nearly stopped.

_He said I'm beautiful? Did he really just say that?_

I blinked a few times before answering.

"Thank you, Neville." We looked at each other for a few moments before he looked up.

"I'd better keep circling, or Slughorn will throw me out for getting distracted."

"Oh, alright. I'll not keep you. Good luck." He laughed.

"Thanks."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The rest of the night went by smoothly, with the exception of Malfoy getting caught trying to sneak in. After Snape offered to escort him out, things went by pretty smoothly. Although, I couldn't help but notice Harry follow them out...

"Hi, Lacey."

I was pulled out of my thoughts by Ginny's voice.

"Oh! Hey, Ginny. You look nice."

"Thanks, so do you." I smiled.

"Having a nice time?" She nodded.

"Sure." I noticed that she was glancing around, as if she was looking for someone. "You haven't seen Harry anywhere, have you?"

"He left about ten minutes ago, but he might be back."

"Ah. Alright." She kind of wandered off after that. _I guess she's still not over her crush just yet._

Not too long afterwards, Harry walked back into the party with a troubled look on his face. As he walked over to where Neville was, I couldn't help but wonder what had happened. Before I could inquire further, I felt someone lightly touch my arm.

"Hello, Miss Ravensdale," Slughorn said with a wide grin. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Me too," I said.

"I've been meaning to ask you, dear, how have you classes with Professor Flitwick been faring?"

"Oh, very good, sir."

"He tells me that you're interested in pursuing a career in that field, am I right?" I nodded.

"Yes, I'd like to."

"Wonderful." He looked over to where Harry was. "Oh, Harry my boy! I'd started to think you'd disappeared!" He immediately started a conversation with Harry, and after they'd walked away, Neville was standing alone again. I glanced at him and smiled gently. He smiled back.

After a few moments, I looked away and walked to a nearby window. Neville's words came back to me.

_You look beautiful...you look beautiful..._

It was a very calm and magical moment for me. I'm glad I savored it, because it was the last one I'd get for a while.

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_**Review if you want!**_


	5. Matters of the Heart

_**I'm baaaaaaaack! Sorry this chapter was late, but I have 2 very valid excuses:**_

_**One, I was in Maine for a week and in the Adirondacks for a few days.**_

_**Two, as a result of seeing Matthew Lewis in a music video where he literally sawed his own freaking arm off, I've had a huge burst of writer's block. **_

_**But I've recovered, and here I am!**_

**Anonymous- I surely will! Thanks! =)**

**Mrs. Maggie Alice Rose Weasley- Thanks, I'm glad you like it! I'll try to get past this huge emotional...scarring...*shivers*...so I can update faster! ;D**

**Guest- I will!**

**Vampbooklover3000- I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, but seriously…I WAS SCARRED!**

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The day before break, an odd and unexpected thing happened. I had just finished my lunch and was heading back to the common room to feed Belle. As I was walking, I realized, to my great dismay, that from where I was at the moment, the only way I could get back to the room was by going down the large empty hallway I knew too well.

_Okay, Lacey. Just walk fast, and you'll be fine._

However, I hadn't taken ten steps before the threesome I dreaded so much turned the corner. Instantaneously, I moved over to the far side of the hall and looked away. But I was as invisible as an elephant in a fish tank.

"Ooh, look who it is!" Crabbe drawled, nudging Goyle.

"How's it going, Rav-"

"Drop it, Goyle."

I was as shocked as the two Slytherins were. Still walking, I eyed Malfoy curiously as he glared in front of him.

"Malfoy?" Crabbe asked. "I thought we-"

"Just shut it!" he growled, not even looking at me. "We've got more important things to worry about."

I stopped and watched them leave.

_That's odd. Malfoy never passes up a chance to make my life miserable…_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Before I even knew it, I was back home. Mum and Dad welcomed me with open arms as usual. For some reason, a part of me wanted to be back at school. _With Neville…_

"We're so happy to have you back, sweetheart," Dad said. "We were worried."

"But Hogwarts is really safe, Dad. Dumbledore is protecting all of us."

"We know, honey," Mum said with a smile. "But we still feel a lot better having you back." I smiled.

"Thanks, Mum."

"We're really happy that you're going to visit Neville, though," Dad said. "Will you be ready by tomorrow, or do you need some more time?"

"Oh, I'll have my things together in time. Why do you ask?" Dad seemed hesitant for a moment, but then shrugged.

"Just checking." I smiled at him.

"You two are great."

With that, they tucked me in, just like they used to when I was smaller. It wasn't too much longer before my eyes shut from the exhaustion of the day.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I was woken by a loud noise that came from downstairs. Jumping out of bed, I listened for a few moments. After hearing nothing, I got dressed and started packing my things.

I had just finished up in the bathroom when I bumped into Dad outside my room.

"Good morning, love," he said to me. I smiled and hugged him.

"Morning. I just finished packing my stuff."

"Great. I'll help you bring it downstairs."

Once we were both at the bottom of the staircase, I looked around.

"Where's Mum?"

"She's in the dining room. I'll go get her." Anxious to say good-bye to my mother, I walked past him and headed towards the door that lead to Mum's location. "Lacey, wait…"

I was surprised by what I found in the dining room. Mum was in there, all right, but so were Remus Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley, Alastor Moody, and a few others.

"What's going on, Mum?" She stood.

"Lacey, we're just having an Order meeting." I nodded, and then her words sunk in.

"Oh, so you…?" Mum looked at me with pity.

"Lacey, we know you want to help, but you're just too young right now." I nodded.

"I see."

At that moment, Alastor got up from where he was sitting.

"Your parents are running the meeting today," he said in his usual gruff voice, "so they suggested that I escort you to Longbottom's house." I nodded, but looked at Mum again.

"He's the most powerful Auror alive. Your father and I are not taking any chances regarding your safety." Deeply touched by this expression of love, I smiled.

"All right, then. Have a good meeting, everyone." I turned and left the room, followed by Alastor. I kissed Dad good-bye and dragged my trunk outside.

"So," I asked Alastor, "how will we be getting there?" His eye twisted a few times before resting on me.

"Flying will do. Do you have your broom?" Nodding, I ran to the garage and pulled out my broomstick. By the time I returned, Alastor had already used a charm to invisibly fasten my trunk to his broomstick.

"Ready?" I nodded.

"Yes."

And with that, we were off.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

After about half an hour, Alastor signaled for me to fly down behind him. I did so, and within a few minutes our feet were on the ground again. I looked around, but did not see a lot of houses around. Alastor must have read my mind.

"We're about three miles from his house." I looked up at him, confused.

"Three miles? Why so far?" He leaned in closer to me, as if he was going to tell me a secret.

"If any Death Eaters had gotten a whiff of where you were going, they could have kidnapped the lad and his gran, taken Polyjuice Potion, and tricked you into coming into the house. It's best not to be too obvious when it comes to your destination." I held back the urge to roll my eyes.

"Okay." We started walking down the street. As we did so, a question burned in the back of my mind. After a while, I couldn't hold back anymore.

"Alastor?"

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering…when did you become so…?"

"Paranoid?"

"Well, I was going to say overly apprehensive, but…" He didn't seem offended.

"Wasn't so much a particular occasion as a long stretch of time, lassie. Aurors have curses flying at them daily. I'm just not particularly fond of it." I nodded.

"I see."

"A big part of it is that I was too trusting in my younger years. It's hard to trust anyone these days. You should be careful of that, too."

"I know, but…"

"No buts. Perhaps it's best to depend on as few people as possible." To be honest, I didn't blame him for saying that. "But the ones you trust the most…can often be the weapons that bring you to your weakest point."

"Oh."

"I'm putting myself at risk of being guilty of prying, but…you, in particular, should be careful about your…_friend._"

I looked at him, and saw a slight smirk stretch across his face.

"What?"

"Your mother told me a little bit about your newfound feelings for Mr. Longbottom." I rolled my eyes. _Mum!_

"Oh, well…what're you saying? That Neville's a Death Eater in disguise?"

"No, I'm saying that in matters that have to do with your heart, you have to be especially careful." He gazed in front of him, and for a moment, I thought I saw a hint of sadness. "I learned that a while ago." This sparked more curiousity within me.

"Alastor, I'll freely declare myself guilty of prying. Did somebody break your heart?" We didn't stop walking, but he took a moment to glance at me.

"It depends on how you look at it."

He took a breath before speaking again.

"It was quite a while ago, not long before you were born. There was…a young lady in the Order. I'm quite old now, but even then I was a great deal older than this woman. Still, I…I couldn't help but admire her spirit, bravery, and…She was the most beautiful person I'd ever seen."

I smiled.

"We spoke more, and I eventually learned that she felt the same about me as I did about her. But we had to keep our relationship a secret from everybody else in the Order, since the age difference was frowned upon. Still, whatever time we had by ourselves, we cherished. That was the first and only time that I've ever lost my heart to someone."

As his expression became more sullen, my heart sank.

"You-Know-Who murdered her not long before his own death, and I could do nothing to save her."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, it was a while ago."

We then stopped walking, and I saw that we were in front of a very nice-looking house. I smiled to myself before turning back to Alastor.

"Thanks for taking me here." I pulled my trunk next to me as he turned to leave.

"Don't mention it." I turned towards the house, but paused when I heard him speak again. "Remember what I said, Lacey. It's okay to trust when it's safe, but it's best to use extra caution when your heart is involved."

Taking this in, I nodded.

"Thanks. I'll remember."

And with that, he took off on his broom. I watched him go for a minute.

_Dear Alastor. So that's why you haven't really trusted anyone in so long. You're afraid of losing someone again…_

Suddenly, the door opened behind me. I turned around and was almost knocked over by an excited Neville.

"Great to see you, Lacey!" He lifted me into the air again and spun me around. After putting me down, he took my trunk. "I can take this. Come on in!"

"Alright. Thanks."

As I followed Neville into the house, I thought about what Alastor had told me.

_Well, I'll certainly enjoy my time with Neville, but…I'll take your advice, Alastor. I'll try not to put my heart at risk._

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_**I hope everyone liked it!**_


	6. Wrappers

_**There are no words in the entire history of speaking that I can use to express how sorry I am for keeping you waiting this long. I started college at September's start, and the work has been piling up! But I've snagged some free time at last.**_

_**Read on and enjoy!**_

**MLC-**** Thanks, I'm so glad you like it! And I get the thing about Moody's OOC-ness; I felt shocked writing it! But let's just say that the reason for him being so open will be revealed…soon enough…Anyways, thanks again!**

**Timbers number1 girl-**** Will do!**

**Curly Queen Swirl-**** I shall!**

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"Are you sure this is comfortable enough, Lacey?"

"Oh, yeah," I answered, looking around the guest room. "This is very nice."

"Great," said Neville, smiling. "Do you need any help unpacking?"

"No thanks, I'm fine," I said, smiling to myself as I opened my suitcase.

"Alright, then. Want to have some lunch after you're done?"

"Okay, I'd like that."

After I unpacked the trunk and settled into the cozy room, I walked over to the window and pulled up the shade. The sky was as white as the snow we were expected to get during the break. Meanwhile, a light frost was clinging to the leafless trees.

I went down the steps and found Neville in the kitchen. He was putting a couple of plates on the table, and on the stove, two grilled cheese sandwiches were giving off a very pleasant aroma.

Neville looked up at me and smiled.

"You like grilled cheese, right?"

"Yes, very much," I said, nodding. I couldn't help but glance around the aged house.

"It's so quiet here," I commented. "It must be very peaceful." At this, Neville chuckled.

"It usually isn't. Gran's gone to the market to get a few things. When she's home, it's rarely ever this quiet." I felt a smile stretch across my face.

"I see."

Not a moment later, a loud crack was heard, and Augusta Longbottom appeared in the kitchen, red bag and all. Neville let out a small yelp of surprise.

"I'm back," Augusta said, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Then, she turned and saw me. "Oh, hello there, Lacey. Did you get here safely?"

"Yes," I told her. Then, she turned to her grandson.

"Have you been a good host, boy?" she asked sternly.

"Yes, Gran. I'm making lunch and everything." Augusta eyed the stove and went towards the stairs.

"Alright," she muttered. "But try not to burn the house down again." With that, she disappeared up the staircase. Neville slowly turned to me and spoke in a harsh whisper.

"One time. It happened _one time!_"

I giggled at this, and after a few moments, Neville smiled too.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Later that day, after supper, Neville and I went for a little walk. There was a big patch of woods behind his house, and he was anxious to show me.

"I would always love playing here when I was little," he said as we went into the trees. "Gran always said that I should've spent more time with the neighborhood kids, but they didn't exactly like me very much." I nodded empathetically.

"I know that feeling," I said.

"Plus, this place is quiet one hundred percent of the time, because nobody ever comes here but me."

Soon, we reached a large fallen tree in the middle of the woods. Neville ran over to it and sat down. When he waved me over, I approached him and sat beside him. Even though it was getting colder, the scent of the wood was still very strong. I sighed heavily, feeling quite relaxed and peaceful.

"So," Neville asked, "what are you thinking about?"

"Well…I'm thinking about snow, and about Christmas. What about you?" Neville sighed before answering.

"I'm thinking about how long it'll take before Gran hexes us back to the house." I laughed out loud at that. Then, Neville looked at me and spoke again. "I'm also thinking about how glad I am that you're here."

"I'm really glad to be here, Neville."

We smiled at each other for a long while. Then, I heard that little voice in my head. It was screaming at me to come clean with how I felt about him. After all, it was the perfect setting, the perfect time, and nobody was around to interrupt. Sure, I was still afraid of rejection, but when would I get another moment like this? Taking a breath, I spoke.

"Neville…"

"_**Neville Longbottom!**_" Both of us were nearly thrown off of the tree by Augusta's booming voice echoing through the trees. "_**It's time for bed! Come back to the house this instant!**_"

"Okay!" Neville shouted back as he got off of the tree. "Well, I guess we'd better get back." I nodded and got up. As we started back for the house, Neville spoke again. "Lacey, what were you going to say?"

I couldn't help but interpret what had just occurred as a sign, so I acted quickly.

"You know, I really can't remember."

"Story of my life," he said with a laugh, and I laughed along as we left the not-so-quiet woods.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I slept very well that night. Actually, it was one of the best sleeps I had ever gotten! When I woke up, it was very quiet. After slipping on my bathrobe and putting on my slippers, I left the room and started down the stairs.

As I descended, I heard faint whisperings. I didn't want to eavesdrop, so I continued down like nothing was wrong. Neville and Augusta were at the kitchen table.

"Good morning, dear," Augusta said. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did, thank you," I answered with a smile. Neville gestured to a nearby cereal box.

"Want some corn flakes, Lacey?"

"Sure."

I got myself a bowl and spoon, poured some cereal, and sat down next to Neville. A few moments later, Augusta rose and started to leave the room.

"I'll be upstairs getting ready if anyone needs me." And with that, she was gone.

"Is she going somewhere?" I asked Neville. He nodded.

"Yeah, we both are. Actually…" He leaned in a bit closer to me and spoke in a quiet voice. "I was going to ask you about it."

"Alright," I said.

"Well," he began, "You know how me and Gran go to see my parents during the holidays?" I nodded. "We were sort of wondering if…you'd like to come with us."

I didn't know what to say to this.

_Does he really want me there?_

"You don't have to if you're too uncomfortable about it," Neville said.

"No, no," I answered, shaking my head. "I'd love to go, if you're sure it's okay." He smiled at me.

"Of course it is."

I smiled back, secretly honored that he wanted me to meet his parents.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It felt weird being at St. Mungo's again. Memories of my mother getting hurt flooded back for a few seconds, but Neville looked at me reassuringly, which calmed me down. Before too long, we arrived at a door with a sign next to it: _Spell Damage._

As we went inside the large wing, I looked around. There were so many men and women doing random things; some were giggling, while others were simply pacing around or sitting completely still in their chairs or beds. I followed Augusta and Neville to the other side of the room.

Once we passed a curtain, two figures came into view; one was pacing around her bed, while the other was lying on his bed and staring up at the ceiling. Neville gently took my arm and turned me towards the man on the bed.

"Lacey, this is Frank, my dad." I smiled at him, but he didn't act as if anyone was there. Then, I looked over to the woman, and Neville spoke again. "And my mum, Alice." I looked at her, and she gave me a peculiar look with her head cocked to the side. She had this unusual grin, and her eyes were moving all over the place.

"Yes," Augusta said. "That's good, Alice."

At that moment, Alice slowly walked up to Neville and me. She was fiddling with something in her hands. Ever so slowly, Neville stepped a bit closer to his mother as she moved her hand forward and dropped something. Neville reached out and caught it. It looked like a wrapper to a piece of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum.

"Thanks," Neville said quietly, smiling at his mother. Alice then turned towards me. It was almost as if she was trying to stare right through me. Then, her eyes sort of drifted off and she started walking away. Next to me, I felt Neville stiffen slightly. My heart ached for him as Augusta gently led Alice back to her bed.

_Oh, Neville. I can't imagine what it's like for you…_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Dinner was fairly quiet that night. Even Augusta barely spoke a syllable. Then again, I could hardly blame anyone for the somber mood.

_God, both of them must always feel like this after visiting them. It must bring back plenty of bad memories._

"Well," Neville said, getting up, "I think I'll just go upstairs." I watched him leave and turned to his grandmother.

"He always feels quite down during this time of year," she said to me.

"I can understand why," I said quietly. Augusta nodded slightly before speaking again.

"I can, too. After all, Frank is my son. But I feel proud of what he and Alice did. They both fought valiantly as Aurors and courageously sacrificed themselves. It just seems to me that Neville hasn't been focusing on that as much as he has on the negative side of it. That's what has been making him weak for so many years."

I listened to the elderly woman, but deep inside, I couldn't help but disagree with her opinion about Neville. I would've been as upset as he was if my parents couldn't recognize me.

"But I must say," Augusta suddenly continued, "he is starting to show some of his parent's courage."

I smiled and nodded. After a few seconds, I put my plate next to the sink and turned to Augusta.

"Thank you for dinner. I think I'll go to bed now as well."

"All right, dear."

I smiled and went up the stairs. At first, I was heading towards my room, but just as I was opening the door, I heard something. It was coming from Neville's room. I took a few careful steps towards his bedroom, and I heard it again. It was sort of a crinkling noise, like wrapping paper or something. After waiting a few minutes, I gently knocked on the door.

"Neville?"

"Oh. Come in, Lacey."

I opened the door. My eyes went wide when I saw what Neville was doing. He was standing on a chair in front of a wall. The wall was covered in Drooble's Best Blowing Gum wrappers. Neville had the one he had just received in his hand.

"Messy, isn't it?" he asked, not looking at me as he reached forward and started to attach the new wrapper. I shook my head.

"No," I answered truthfully. "It's actually really…interesting." Neville glanced at me and chuckled.

"Gran thinks I'm mad to be keeping these around. But it…it just makes me feel better." He stepped down off of the chair and moved it over to his desk before turning back to me. "They're all from her."

"Really?"

"Yep," he answered. "She's given me one every time I've visited her." I nodded as I gazed at the nearly covered wall.

"So you kept them all?"

"Yeah. It's kind of the only thing I have of my parents that I can really hold on to." I looked at him as he walked over to his bed and sat down.

"That's really good, Neville," I said, standing where I was. "Does it help to comfort you?"

"It helps the most out of everything I've tried. Gran keeps telling me that Mum giving me those wrappers doesn't mean a thing. It's not like I have it built in my head that it's Mum's way of showing her love for me, because I know she doesn't know who I am. But…a part of me wants to believe that my parents remember me just a _little_ bit."

I nodded and slowly approached him. After slowly sitting down next to him, I looked at him and spoke.

"Well…I do agree that it's best not to carry false hopes. But I'm sure I don't need to tell you that even though they don't recognize you, it has nothing to do with the way their hearts cared for you. Even though their brains don't know you, maybe they have some recollection of you in their hearts. I don't believe that any spell can change how the heart feels."

Neville slowly turned his head towards me and smiled.

"Thank you, Lacey. That actually does help a little bit." I smiled.

"I'm glad."

I reached towards him and rubbed his shoulder soothingly. A few seconds later, I heard a very soft sniffle.

"I want them to know me," he whispered. "So badly."

"I know," I said back. "I'm sorry."

Neville looked at me again, and for the first time, I saw tears rolling down his cheeks. I gently extended my arms and embraced him, and he instantly reciprocated. It wasn't long before I felt tears filling my eyes as well. After a while of this, we both cried ourselves to sleep.

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_**Again, I'm sorry for the wait. I hope you liked this chapter!**_


	7. Two Young Women

_**Wow…two years. I'm **__**so**__** sorry I haven't updated for so long, but I'm back now!**_

_**I hope you like this chapter.**_

**KeeperOfDreams93-**** Thanks so much! I'll try ;)**

**Miss di Angelo-**** Okay, I'll try =)**

**sweet-little-song-**** Thanks so much for your comments**

**Guest-**** I'm glad you're enjoying it :]**

**The Wackspurt Conspiracy-**** I'm glad you feel that way! I'll try to update more frequently**

**lily1994-**** Thanks so much!**

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Upon arriving back to school, Neville and I were quite unsettled to hear that Death Eaters had attacked and set fire to the Weasley's home. I'm just glad that nobody was hurt. Ron said they had plans to rebuild the house, so it wasn't that big of a deal. Despite hearing him say that, I could see the pain behind his expression. It was his childhood home, after all. Any new structure wouldn't replace that.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Try again, Miss Ravensdale."

_"Deprimo."_

The rickety wooden cabinet in front of me didn't budge. I sighed, frustrated. Professor Flitwick could tell I was losing my cool, so he carefully hopped down off the chair he was standing on.

"Maybe you should take a small break," he said.

Though I didn't want to give up just yet, I lowered my wand and took a few steps back. I felt a desk behind me, so I sat down upon it as the professor approached me.

"Is something the matter, Miss Ravensdale? Your concentration has been wavering for the last few weeks."

I already knew that. There was so much on my mind. Neville, You-Know-Who, Ron's family, my own family…

"I'm sorry, professor," I said, not wanting to make excuses. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Oh, come now." It was as if he'd seen right through me. After a few seconds of struggling, Flitwick climbed up onto the desk next to me and sat down. "I'm bothered by everything that's happened as well. Half the students in my other classes are scared to death. They think Death Eaters will jump through the windows and hex them at any moment!"

_Well, who could blame them?_

"But you know something?" he asked.

I looked at him, not knowing.

"That's just what He Who Must Not Be Named wants. He wants all of us to be on edge at every moment. But we can't let that happen, can we?"

I shook my head, agreeing. Still, Flitwick was awfully optimistic about this whole thing.

"But that doesn't mean we still shouldn't be prepared," he continued. "Improving your concentration is vital. Should a time come when his followers do attack, you must catch them off-guard. Knock them right on their bums, correct?"

I couldn't help but smile as I nodded.

"Well then," the professor said, hopping down from the desk, "shall we give it another go?"

"Okay."

I got up and stepped towards the cabinet once again, my wand at the ready. I looked at it, imagining I was defending Mum and Dad from it.

_"Deprimo."_

As a large hole was blasted into the wood, I stepped back, startled. But Flitwick couldn't have been happier.

"Wonderful, Miss Ravensdale," he exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement. "Splendid!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

The next few weeks went by with minimal issues. My Charms classes were still going well, but I was quite preoccupied by a lot of other things. Snape was still giving all the Gryffindors a hard time, of course. That had always been normal. But for some reason, the skies seemed to be getting a bit darker with each passing day. I could tell I wasn't the only one who noticed. All the other students weren't quite as upbeat as they usually were.

One day, after spending some time roaming around the castle, I stopped at the base of one of the staircases and sat down. It was a bit dark and musty, but that had become quite normal, so it barely even registered. Since nobody was around, I thought it would be a good opportunity to do some thinking.

_It's like…we're all waiting around, expecting something bad to happen. You-Know-Who has been on everyone's mind, I'm sure. He must be plotting something. But Flitwick is right…he wants to keep us on edge, keep us afraid…_

I sighed, wishing that it wasn't working.

"Lacey…"

I turned around, not realizing someone was coming down the stairs. My body relaxed as I saw that it was just Hermione.

"Oh, hey."

Hermione stopped one step up from where I was sitting.

"What're you doing down here?" she asked.

"Oh, just sitting. I've been doing some wandering, so I thought I'd sit and take a breather."

Things were quiet for a little while. Then, Hermione knelt down to sit upon the step she was standing on.

"You've been doing quite a lot of wandering. Is everything alright?"

I almost giggled at this. Hermione really was the smartest girl at Hogwarts. If anything about anyone was off, she was surely the first to notice.

I crossed my arms before replying.

"Well, there's nothing wrong in particular, but everything's just…I don't know how to say it. It's like everything's been so dark lately."

"I've noticed as well."

"Yeah. And everyone's so tense. More than usual, I mean. It's gotten to the point where I'm just waiting for something bad to happen."

"That's certainly understandable," said Hermione. "Voldemort's return has definitely put a damper on everything here. But Lacey, he wants to strike terror in the wizarding world. He _wants_ us to feel afraid and on edge."

"I know. Professor Flitwick said that as well. But I still can't help it sometimes."

I felt Hermione put a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Have you tried talking to someone?"

"I don't want to bother the professors with my silly problems."

"What about friends? I've been talking to Harry a lot, and a bit with Ron."

I couldn't help but glance at her.

"Ron? But the two of you hadn't been speaking for a pretty big part of the year."

"I know. Things got a bit…complicated."

I nodded slightly, having a pretty good idea about what she meant by that. Just then, she removed her hand from my shoulder and leaned forward a bit.

"Lacey, can I tell you a secret?" I nodded. "For quite a great deal of time now, I've had…very strong feelings for Ron. I can't tell if he feels the same way back, so it's been very frustrating."

I looked at her, feeling her pain.

"I'm sorry about that," I said. "It does sound aggravating."

Hermione lowered her head a little bit. I found myself wanting to make her feel better, so I carefully extended a hand and placed it on hers.

"If it makes you feel any better, I…I also have feelings for someone. And I don't know if he feels the same towards me."

At this, Hermione looked at me. I don't exactly know how to describe what her expression was saying, but thinking back, I think it was a mixture of sadness and adoration.

She grasped my hand and spoke.

"Is it Neville?"

I didn't have to say anything for her to know she was correct. She smiled a bit and squeezed my hand a little bit tighter.

"I had a suspicion," she said, and I couldn't help but smile. "Well, I think he'd be crazy not to like you."

"Thanks," I said. "And I think Ron would be crazy to not like you."

And so we sat like that for a few more moments…two young women trapped in the confusing world of boys.

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_**Again, I'm sorry this took so long. And I'm sorry if this chapter was a bit short or not as good. I'm just getting back into the swing of things. Let me know what you think!**_


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